Method of making a dispensing package



Aug. 18, 1970 T. E. PIAZZ E 3,524,296

METHOD OF MAKING A DISPENSING PACKAGE I Original Filed Oct. 24. 1965 2SheetsSheet 1 INVENI'OR THOMAS E. PIAZZE ATTORNEYS Aug..18, 1970 T. E.PIAZZE METHODOF MAKING A DISPENSING PACKAGE Original Filed Oct. 24, 19652 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR THOMAS E. PIAZZE 3 524,296 METHOD OF MAKINGA DISPENSING PACKAGE Thomas E. Piazze, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignor toContinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkOriginal application Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,481, now Patent No.3,365,100, dated Jan. 23, 1968. Divided and this application Nov. 1,1967, Ser. No. 679,701

Int. Cl. B65b 61/14 US. C]. 53-14 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis invention is directed to a novel method of manufacturing adispenser package by depositing a plurality of dispensable articles intoa bag of heat-shrinkable material having an apertured bottom throughwhich air is vented during the insertion of the articles into the bag. Aclosure is inserted with an open end portion of the bag and the latterportion is heat-shrunk to maintain the closure and bag in assembledrelationship. An opposite end portion of the bag is also heat-shrunk toform a dispensing opening upon the subsequent removal of the bottom endportion of the bag.

This application is a division of applicants copending commonly assignedapplication Ser. No. 504,481, filed Oct. 24, 1965, and now Pat. No.3,365,100.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel method of forming adispensing package by providing a bag or container of heat-shrinkablematerial having an open mouth and an opposite closed bottom providedwith a peripheral weakening line between the mouth and the bottom,inserting a plurality of articles into the container through the mouth,closing the mouth, and heat-shrinking a portion of the containeradjacent the closed bottom into conforming relationship to an article atthe heat-shrunk portion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method offorming a dispensing package in the manner heretofore defined whereinthe bag bottom is provided with an aperture through which air is ventedduring the insertion of the articles into the bag.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel method offorming a dispensing package in the manner described wherein a closureis inserted into the open mouth, and a portion of the bag defining theopen mouth is heat-shrunk into overlying relationship to the closure forretaining the latter in assembled relationship relative to the bag andthe articles packaged therein.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claimed subjectmatter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a flattened tubular container formedfrom heat shrinkable material, and illustrates a weakening line adjacenta bottom end of the container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1, and illustratesa plurality of internested articles and a cover being inserted into thecontainer through a mouth thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the articles and container of FIG.2 with parts broken away for clarity, and illustrates the articles fullyinserted within the container.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, andmore clearly illustrates the cover United States Patent 7 ice positionedwithin the container adjacent the container mouth.

FIG. 5 is a highly schematic elevational view of a rotatable mandrel anda source of hot air, and illustrates the packed container of FIG. 3positioned within the mandrel and hot air directed toward the mouth ofthe container for heat shrinking the material of the container intoclamping engagement with the cover.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary top perspective view of the packed container,and illustrates a shrunken portion of the container retaining the coverin assembled relationship.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally alongline 7-7 of FIG. 6, and more clearly illustrates the heat shrunk portionof the container retaining the cover in assembled relationship.

FIG. 8 is a highly schematic elevational view of another mandrel andsource of hot air, and illustrates the application of hot air toward anend portion of the package container opposite the cover.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lower inverted end portionof the now completely formed dispenser package, and illustrates thelower end portion of the container heat shrunk into conformingrelationship to a lowermost one of the articles.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally alongline 1010 of FIG. 9, and more clearly illustrates the conformingrelationship of the lower end portion of the container and a lowermostone of the articles.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the dispenser package, and illustratesthe heat shrunk portions of the package by stippling.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the dispensing package, and illustratesthe package being supported in a vertical plane by a portion of thecover, and the removal of a portion of the container along the weakeningline prior to a dispensing operation.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of a lower end portion of thedispenser package, and illustrates a dispensing opening, a lowermost ofthe articles partially projecting through the dispensing opening, and aremaining portion of the shrunken portion above the weakening lineretaining the articles in the dispenser package.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to FIG. 13, andillustrates the removal of the lowermost article during a dispensingoperation.

A novel method of forming a dispenser package in accordance with thisinvention will be best understood by first referring to FIGS. 11 through12 of the drawings which illustrate the completely formed dispenserpackage, which is generally referred to by the reference numeral 15. Thedispenser package 15 comprises a container or bag 16 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3)a plurality of articles 17 (FIGS. 2 and 3), and a cover or closure 18(FIGS. 2, 4 and 7).

The container or bag .16 is constructed from a sheet of heat shrinkablematerial, such as polyethylene, polypropylene or similar plasticmaterial, folded along a fold line 19 into walls or panels 20, 21. Thewalls 20, 21 are heat sealed or otherwise secured to each other alonglongitudinal edge portions 22, 23. An upper portion (unnumbered) of thewall 21 projects beyond an upper portion (unnumbered) of the wall 20 anddefines a mount or opening 24 therewith. A line of weakening 25 in theform of an interrupted score line or a line of perforations is formed inthe walls 20, 21 adjacent the fold line 19. An aperture or notch 26places the interior of the container 16 in communication with theexterior thereof the bottom for a purpose which will be apparenthereafter.

The articles 17 are a plurality of internested containers, such as paperor plastic drinking cups. Each container is identical and includes acontainer body 27 having an upper conventional peripheral curl 28 and aclosed bottom wall (unnumbered).

The cap or closure 18 includes a. generally circular member 30 having adiameter slightly greater than the diameter of the article curls 28, asis best illustrated in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The member 36 is formedof paperstock or plastic material and directly overlies and rests uponthe curl of an uppermost one of the containers 27 (FIGS. 3 and 7). Asmaller circular member 31 having semi-circular portions 32, 33 overliesthe larger circular member 30. The semi-circular portion 32 is securedby adhesive A (FIG. 7) or other conventional securing means to thelarger circular member 30. A score or fold line 34 (FIGS. 4 and 7)separates the semi-circular portions 32, 33 and permits thesemi-circular portion 33 to be folded from the position illustrated inFIG. 7 of the drawings to the position shown in FIG. 12. An opening oraperture 35 in the semi-circular portion 33 is employed to suspend thedispenser package 15 from a conventional support S (FIG. 12), such as ahook or similar supporting member.

The plurality of internested articles 17 and the closure 18 are insertedinto the container 16 through the open mouth 24 thereof, as isillustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawngs. As the internested articles 17move toward the bottom of the container 16 air within the container 16is forced outwardly therefrom through the aperture 26, as indicated bythe unnumbered headed arrows adjacent the opening 26 in FIG. 2 of thedrawings.

After the internested articles 17 and the closure 18 have been insertedinto the container 16 (FIGS. 3 and 4), the container 16 is positioned ina chamber 40 (FIG. of a mandrel 41 having a shaft 42 which is rotated byconventional means (not shown). A source 42 of hot air or a similarheating medium is positioned adjacent an upper end portion 43 of themandrel 4.1. The source 42 of hot air can take the form of one or aplurality of nozzles for directing hot air toward the end portion 45 ofthe container 16. As the hot air impinges against the upper portion 45of the container 16, the portion 45 Shrinks into clamping contact withthe closure 18, as is best illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings.

The shrunken end portion 45 overlies the semi-circular portion 32 of themember 31 while the semi-circular portion 33 is exposed and free to foldabout the line 34 between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 12 ofthe drawings.

After the end portion 45 of the container 16 has been shrunk in themanner illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the same is removed from themandrel 41, inverted and inserted into a chamber 56 (FIG. 8) of amandrel 51 which includes a shaft 52' rotated by conventional means (notshown). A source 52 of hot air or a similar heating medium is positionedadjacent an upper end portion 53 of the mandrel 51. The source 52 of hotair can take the form of one or a plurality of nozzles for directing hotair toward the end portion of the container 16. As the hot air orsimilar heated medium impinges against the projecting end portion of thecontainer 16, as indicated by the unnumbered headed arrows in FIG. 8,the material shrinks into conforming relationship to the invertedlowermost article, generally referred to by the reference numeral 55(FIG. The dispensing package .15 is thereby provided with a majorcentral portion 56 (FIGS. 11 and 12) which is unshrunk, an upper endportion 57 which is shrunk (the shrunk portions being indicated bystippling in FIGS. 11 and 12) and a lower heat shrunk end portion 58.

The dispensing package is hung from the support S by folding thesemi-circular portion 33 of the closure member 31 from the positionshown in FIGS. 4 and 6 to the position illustrated in FIG. 12.Thereafter a portion 60 of the heat shrunk portion 58 is removed alongthe weakening line 25 by simply manually grasping and tearing theportion 60 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 12 of the drawings. Uponthe removal of the portion 60 a remaining portion 61 (FIG. 13)releasably clampingly grips the lowermost article 55. As is bestillustrated in FIG.13 of the drawings, the remaining heat shrunk portion61 includes a peripheral portion 62 conforming to the body (unnumbered)of the article 55 and a radially outwardly and upwardly directed heatshrunk portion .63 conforming to a curl or rim 64 of the article 55. Theportion 63 defines means for retaining the lowermost article 55 and theremaining internested articles within the dispensing package until suchtime as it is desired to remove one or more of the articles. Thearticles are removed by merely grasping the portion of a lowermostarticle exposed through a dispensing opening (unnumbered) defined by theperipheral portion 62 of the remaining heat shrunk portion 61. Thearticle is drawn downwardly in the direction of the unnumbered headedarrow in FIG. 14 whereupon the heat shrunk portions 62, 63 yield topermit the lowermost article to be withdrawn and progressively reboundto prevent a next succeeding article from being accidentally orinadvertently removed from the dispensing package 15, as is bestillustrated in FIG. 14 of the drawings. In this manner, articles arewithdrawn singularly from the dispensing package 15, noting that theinternested articles 17 are free to continually drop downwardly due tothe unshrunk major central portion 56 of the dispensing package 15.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageousprovisions have been made for carrying out the desired end. However,attention is again directed to the fact that additional variations maybe made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of forming a dispensing package comprising the steps ofproviding a container of heat shrinkable material having an open month,an opposite closed bottom, and a weakening line between the mouth andbottom, inserting a plurality of articles into the container through themouth, inserting a closure in the mouth, heat shrinking a portion of thecontainer adjacent the closure into overlying relationship to theclosure to retain the same within the container, heat shrinking aportion of the container adjacent the closed bottom into conformingrelationship to an article at said portion, and the heat shrinking ofthe container portion adjacent the closed bottom being localizeddownwardly from a point above said weakening line.

2. A method of forming a dispensing package comprising the steps ofproviding a container of heat shrinkable material having an open mouth,an opposite closed bottom, and a weakening line between the mouth andbottom, inserting a plurality of articles into the container through themouth, closing the mouth, heat shrinking a portion of the containeradjacent the closed bottom into conforming relationship to an article atsaid portion, and the heat shrinking of the container portion adjacentthe closed bottom being localized downwardly from a point above saidweakening line.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 including the step of rotating thecontainer and articles relative to a heating source during the heatshrinking operation.

4. The method as defined in claim 2 including the step of rotating thecontainer and articles relative to a heat source during the heatshrinking operation.

5. A method of forming a dispensing package comprising the steps ofproviding a container of heat shrinkable material having an open mouthand an opposite closed bottom, inserting a plurality of articles intothe container through the mouth, providing a closure which includesmeans for suspending the dispensing package, inserting the closure insaid mouth, heat shrinking a portion of the container adjacent theclosure into overlying relationship to the closure but not to thesuspending means thereof to retain the closure within the container yetpermit the package to be suspended by the suspending means, and heatshrinking a portion of the container adjacent the closed bottom intoconforming relationship to an article at said portion.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom is provided witha venting aperture whereby the movement of the articles toward thebottom during the insertion thereof into the container forces air withinthe container outwardly thereof through the venting aperture.

7. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the bottom is provided witha venting aperture whereby the movement of the articles toward thebottom during the insertion thereof into the container forces air withinthe container outwardly thereof through the venting aperture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, PrimaryExaminer E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5330, 37

